Chapter 44

Woof, woof!

The sound of puppies barking echoed through the complex. Passersby glanced at where Naru was sitting and moved on, wondering why there were dog noises in broad daylight. Naru himself, however, was busy chatting with the stray puppies, unaware he was being watched.

“So I just threw the potato like this. What do you all think?”

Naru, who had just told them everything that happened with Gyu-yeon earlier, made a pouty face with his eyebrows shaped like an ‘^’. Even as he spoke he was a little agitated; his chest and shoulders trembled slightly.

One by one, the stray puppies that had gathered did their best to comfort Naru. They were all strangers to him.

‘Still, doesn’t this mean they like me now? Well, that’s one good thing.’

The puppy who had listened from the start licked Naru’s palm. It was its way of congratulating him. Simple Naru softened at the words “they like you.”

“Song Naru.”

Scurry.

At Gyu-yeon’s sudden appearance, the stray puppies scattered in a hurry. They moved so fast that Gyu-yeon, who had been standing still, took a step back in surprise. He watched their fleeing forms with a bewildered look, then stared at Naru crouched on the ground with a hollow expression.

Embarrassed at being caught gossiping, Naru avoided Gyu-yeon’s gaze. He told him not to come looking, so why’d he come out anyway? A warm, fuzzy feeling bloomed in a corner of his heart for no reason.

“Get up, aren’t you cold?”

“I’m not cold. Krrng.”

“The kid who says they’re not cold is wiping their nose.”

“…Krrng.”

When Gyu-yeon reached out his hand, Naru whipped his head away. Deep down he was glad he came, but he hated the idea of giving in too quickly. Gyu-yeon let out a short laugh at his coy answer and brought his hand closer as if urging him to take it.

Naru was dressed far too lightly for the weather. He wore only a long-sleeve t-shirt, so it was understandable he felt cold. Late autumn winds were fairly chilly. He had already shown up in a short-sleeve shirt of unknown origin, and he was nervous she’d catch a cold; he couldn’t leave him outside like that.

Gyu-yeon grabbed Naru’s arm and pulled him up. If he waited any longer, he might not move until nightfall.

Naru, pretending to relent, straightened the knees he’d bent and stood stubbornly. He would get up, but he had no intention of going home willingly. He behaved just like a contrarian frog.

“Let’s go inside.”

“No.”

“…You don’t want to see my face?”

Dejected by his firm answer, Gyu-yeon asked cautiously whether Naru didn’t want to see his face. He wasn’t being sarcastic—he genuinely wanted to know. If Naru truly didn’t want to see him, he was even willing to leave the house.

Surprised by the unusual question, Naru shook his head unintentionally. So he didn’t hate seeing his face—Gyu-yeon didn’t know how to act.

He worried he’d get angry if he pushed. But he also worried about leaving him out in the chilly air for too long. In the end, Gyu-yeon took his hand again.

“If it’s not because you hate it, let’s go inside.”

“……”

“Not going to come in?”

“Yeah.”

There was a reason for Naru’s strange stubbornness. He worried that if he followed him in here, he’d become an easy person. So he stood like a statue and refused to move—but Gyu-yeon couldn’t possibly read that hidden thought.

Gyu-yeon finally pulled out his trump card. A skill he’d never used before. He didn’t know if it would work in this situation, but he decided to try it. It was half a gamble.

With a cold air, he let go of Naru’s hand and turned away. Naru’s eyes widened instantly. Her startled face at being pushed away looked meek and cute.

“Alright, then come in when you want to come in.”

“…?”

“You stay here. I’m leaving.”

“…!”

A common parental tactic used in supermarkets: “You stay here, mom and dad are going.” Especially in the toy aisle, this line bizarrely worked very well.

As Gyu-yeon started to walk away, anxious Naru stamped his feet. Should he follow or not? Within moments hundreds of thoughts crowded his head.

Gyu-yeon didn’t wait for Naru. That was the point of the tactic: act like you’re leaving and don’t look back.

Naru, frowning with indecision, followed Gyu-yeon’s back within five seconds. Seeing him leave made his heart ache, so he went after him.

Is he coming along all right?

Gyu-yeon glanced back briefly, then quickly turned his head and stifled a laugh. Naru, who had been far away, had suddenly come close—pretending not to follow while hurriedly acting aloof was comical.

“Kuhp…”

Holding back a laugh, Gyu-yeon continued walking. Naru kept trailing him while pretending not to follow. It felt like taming a stray kitten found by the roadside.

As Gyu-yeon was about to enter the building, he suddenly looked back. He knew he shouldn’t, but Naru’s reaction was so cute he wanted to tease him. Startled, Naru immediately crouched in a corner and pretended to watch an ant.

“An-ant. It’s an ant.”

What on earth is he doing. Fuck, why is he so cute in a serious situation?

Gyu-yeon entered the apartment building after punching in the entry code, and Naru, unable to follow in, stared despairingly at the closing automatic doors.

Beyond the transparent doors, Naru’s pouty face was visible. His cheek was pressed flat against the glass like a hotteok. Pressing his face to the automatic door, he puffed his cheek out, staring at Gyu-yeon with eyes that commanded him to open the door immediately because he wanted to go in.

Gyu-yeon obliged and opened the door. Embarrassed, Naru couldn’t say a word. Instead, he stuck close to his side and waited for the elevator.

In the quiet hallway, Naru’s quick, colorful breaths were faintly audible. Even his breathing was so cute it was maddening.

The elevator arrived and the two stepped inside. As soon as the button was pressed, the doors began to close slowly. As they ascended, Naru contemplated what to do with Gyu-yeon going forward.

He remembered the stray puppy earlier saying, “Doesn’t this mean they like you now?”

Yes, that’s right. Gyu-yeon had clearly said he wanted to like Naru. Naru wanted to hear those words in person, not over the phone. His anger had long since sunk down below.

The elevator reached the top floor and the doors opened. Swallowing, watching him closely, Naru, as soon as the doors opened, pushed Gyu-yeon’s body against the hallway wall.

“Hey, wait, what are you doing!”

“I-I’m really going to like you? I want to like you?”

There it was again. An impulsive move that left people flustered.

A strange madness flickered in Naru’s eyes. Sometimes when Naru acted like this, Gyu-yeon felt his skin crawl. He couldn’t predict what she’d do if he answered wrong.

Above all, this was the hallway, not inside a home. Though Gyu-yeon technically used the whole floor himself, he didn’t want to have this kind of conversation out in the open.

Naru didn’t care where they spoke. When Gyu-yeon tried to twist away, he stretched his legs forward to block him from moving. Where on earth had he learned moves like that?

“Go inside and talk.”

“Answer me.”

Clunk. Sssht.

Of all times, a noise was heard. From the emergency exit side came sounds suggesting someone on a lower floor was doing something or security had arrived. Gyu-yeon anxiously pressed his forehead.

Speaking as gently as he could, Gyu-yeon began to coax Naru.

“Naru, please let’s go inside and talk.”

“Answer me, you idiot.”

“You really…”

That damned curse. It’s all my fault. It’s because I let my mouth run carelessly. Right.

Gyu-yeon gave up. Naru clearly had no intention of going into the house. Watching him anxiously furrowed expression, he gently tugged the back of his head and whispered in his ear. His low voice sounded sweeter than usual.

“Uh, I want to like you.”

“……”

“Was that an answer?”

At the tender reply, Naru’s face and ears flushed bright red. It was the phrase he’d wanted to hear so badly, and hearing it made his heart pound oddly. Gyu-yeon, who had hesitated earlier, seemed surprisingly unfazed. His steady expression made Naru’s heart flutter even more.

Like someone thoroughly enchanted, Naru nodded and blinked slowly. His hands fidgeted and his eyes darted about, unable to focus.

Gyu-yeon tilted his head slightly to check Naru’s complexion. He had been speaking so clearly a moment before and now was so quiet—he wondered if he felt unwell. His concern only made him more embarrassed.

“Song Naru, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

“You!”

Naru suddenly shouted and pushed Gyu-yeon further against the wall. He never gave him a chance to relax. Quietly startled, Gyu-yeon stood pressed against the wall.

What is he trying to do?

Naru’s expression grew increasingly solemn. He wondered what he was thinking this time. Just as Gyu-yeon tried to anticipate his next move, Naru rose onto his toes and jumped.

“Ugh…!”

Confidently leaping up, Naru crashed his lips into Gyu-yeon’s. In his mind it was an exciting kiss, but to Gyu-yeon it was almost a lip assault—his lip hit his front tooth, causing pain and even a bead of blood.

Naru continued talking without even checking how Gyu-yeon was doing.

“I’m really mad that you misunderstood from the start, but since you say you like me, I’m putting up with it.”

“……”

“I’m letting it slide just this once. Got it?”

Gyu-yeon pressed his bleeding lip with his hand and, caught off guard, nodded. If he didn’t answer immediately, he feared Naru might choke him.

Pleased by his response, Naru jumped again. It would’ve been fine if he had moderated his strength, but he threw himself at him full force. He even banged his lips against the already bleeding spot once more.

His lips now stung painfully, but Gyu-yeon couldn’t help laughing. Naru’s face, smiling shyly in front of him, looked dazzlingly clear and beautiful—he couldn’t help it.